WRITTEN QUESTION E-0927/02 by Roger Helmer (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Commission-funded information programmes on the euro and the EU for Member States and non-EU Member States.
Date: 2002-04-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU expenditure, Malta, accession to the European Union, euro, public awareness campaign, referendum

C 301 E/68

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

5.12.2002

(2002/C 301 E/072)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0917/02

by Giles Chichester (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 April 2002)

Subject: SIDEX

Has the Commission received all relevant information concerning the purchase of Sidex by LNM/Ispat and
is it confident that all disclosure requirements have been fulfilled?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(22 May 2002)

Council and Commission Decision 94/907/EC, ECSC, Euratom of 19 December 1994 on the conclusion of
the Europe agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member
States and Romania (1), Romania engaged to ensure transparency in the area of State aid to the steel
industry by a full and continuous exchange of information, including amount, intensity and purpose of the
aid and detailed restructuring plan.

As far as Sidex SA Galati is concerned, in October 2001 the Commission received a file prepared by the
Romanian Authority for Privatisation and Management of State Ownership relating to the privatisation of
that company. The Commission requested additional information which was provided in April 2002. The
Commission is currently analysing this information and,
it will request any additional
information or clarification to the Romanian authorities.

if needed,

(1) OJ L 357, 31.12.1994.

(2002/C 301 E/073)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0927/02

by Roger Helmer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(5 April 2002)

Subject: Commission-funded information programmes on the euro and the EU for Member States and non-

EU Member States

Can the Commission please tell me how much money has been spent on information and/or promotion of
the European Single Currency in:

1.

Eurozone Member States.

2. Non-Eurozone EU Member States.

3. Applicant States.

Can the Commission also tell me how much money has been spent on information and/or promotion in
relation to Malta’s forthcoming referendum on membership of the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(5 June 2002)

Between 1996 and 31 December 2001, the Commission has spent through the Information Programme
for the European Citizen (Prince) a total of EUR 185 million on information on the single currency. A large
proportion of this amount has helped finance the National euro information campaigns of the 12 euro
area countries (EUR 110 million). However, as many projects have been transnational in nature involving
three or more Member States it is impossible to give an exact breakdown of the figure between the
‘Eurozone’ countries and the three ‘non-Eurozone countries’.

5.12.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 301 E/69

However the figures below are a fairly accurate picture of the situation:

1.

Eurozone Member States: EUR 175 million;

2. Non Eurozone States: EUR 7,3 million of which EUR 1,5 million has gone to Sweden for its National

Information Campaign;

3. Third countries: EUR 2,7 million of which a maximum of EUR 0,5 million have been spent in the

candidate countries which included a seminar in Budapest in September 2001.

Apart from providing information on the Union and on the Enlargement process in general, as part of its
Communication strategy on Enlargement,
the Commission does not spent money specifically on
information and/or promotion in relation to Malta’s forthcoming referendum on membership of the
Union. These activities are the responsibility of the Maltase government in the first place.

(2002/C 301 E/074)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0928/02

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(5 April 2002)

Subject: Price increases resulting from the introduction of the euro

On the front page of Inf€uro, the European Commission’s newsletter, Number 20/EN 2001, Commissioner
Solbes denied that ‘any significant increase in prices’ was to be expected when the euro was introduced.
should be ensured by a combination of competitive pressures on
‘An inflation-free changeover
manufacturers and retailers, legal regulations in all Member States on how to convert sums into euro and
close scrutiny of
traders by consumer organisations and the media. … We are working to keep
[unscrupulous trading] to a minimum. … Consumer protection is one of the top priorities for the
Commission and the Member States.’ Now, however, just a few months after the introduction of the euro,
the media and consumer organisations are regularly reporting price increases.

Can the Commission indicate the average increase in prices compared with the period before the euro was
introduced and how it intends to combat the inflation resulting therefrom?

Furthermore, does the Commission deem it appropriate to entrust consumer organisations and the media
with the job of scrutinising price rises, all the more so since many of the print media have themselves
increased their prices in response to the introduction of the euro?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(5 June 2002)

The figures published by Eurostat on 28 February 2002 confirmed that the changeover to the euro had
not resulted in across-the-board price increases: the impact of the changeover on monthly inflation is
estimated at between 0 % and 0,16 %. The few increases linked to the euro generally occurred in the
service sector. Although annual
inflation increased from 2 % to 2,7 % between December 2001 and
January 2002, this is almost wholly due to a combination of oil price rises, the higher cost of fruit and
vegetables as a result of bad weather conditions and a number of tax hikes.

Primary responsibility for scrutinising price rises lies with the relevant official bodies, but consumer
organisations can usefully help raise public awareness by highlighting any excessive increases.